Jury selection underway in murder trial of NC college student Faith Hedgepeth

DURHAM, N.C. -- Jury selection continued Tuesday in the murder trial of Miguel Salguero Olivares as the court worked to fill the second alternate juror seat, a process that has stretched on since before noon Monday.

Salguero-Olivares is accused of killing 19-year-old Faith Hedgepeth. She was a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sophomore when she was found murdered in her apartment on Sept. 7, 2012.

Police say Hedgepeth had been bludgeoned to death by an empty bottle of rum.

Salguero-Olivares was arrested in 2021, nine years after the murder. Police said he was 19 when the killing happened.

The 12-member jury has already been seated, and one alternate juror has been selected.

Several more potential jurors were dismissed Tuesday morning as attorneys for the state and defense continued questioning prospective alternates.

Inside the courtroom, Faith Hedgepeth's parents, sister and niece were seated in the second row gallery.

A few extended family members sat behind them as proceedings continued.

Attorneys questioned potential alternate jurors about whether they could remain fair and impartial despite the extensive media attention the case has received over the years.

Three alternate positions remain to be filled before opening statements can begin. The lengthy selection process prompted a lighthearted moment from the bench.

As attorneys struggled to fill the second alternate seat, the judge joked that perhaps they should move on and try selecting the third alternate juror instead to see if they had better luck.

Filling the second alternate position remains a priority as the court continues efforts to finalize the panel.